Summary
Rooted in complexity theory, the purpose of this study was to explore how communicators strategize and plan for digital social advocacy and foster long-term relationships with their publics. Complexity theory, which recognizes that linear, predictable relationships are not always possible, is proposed as an appropriate lens for investigating digital social advocacy communication where decision-making is nonlinear and often impacted by unexpected occurrences. This study explained how digital advocacy communicators make sense of the complexity of the social media landscape, providing theoretical and practical implications for public relations professionals.

Method
The researchers conducted 25 semi-structured interviews with directors of communication, communication specialists, and executive directors at nonprofits categorized as “advocacy and alliance.” Interview transcripts were analyzed for the presence of major themes in the data and their relatedness to complexity theory.

Key Findings
— Digital advocacy communicators use social media as a way to navigate real-time change, co-create identity with their publics, and continually promote and monitor mission-related issues by reaching new publics.
— Few communicators were focused on how to make the information they posted on social media useful beyond the present, even though they knew content would exist for as long as social media does.
— Digital advocacy communicators placed high importance on being responsive to comments, questions, and requests made on social media. Interaction was driven by publics instead of by the organization.
— Digital advocacy communicators perceived algorithms as a challenge to their social media engagement.
1.) Working for nonprofit organizations, they stated that they lacked the budget for paid content, resulting in them placing more emphasis on real-time social media engagement with publics.
— These communicators saw themselves as “translators” between the organization and publics.
1.) Live tweeting and Facebook Live were seen as helpful tactics for expanding organizational reach.
— Rather than focusing on specific target audiences, digital advocacy communicators remained open to attracting unexpected audiences and those who wanted to learn more about the organization.

Implications for Practice
— Even if digital advocacy communicators create content that publics want, social media algorithms may prevent that content from being seen. Therefore, these communicators must focus on creating deep connections with audiences in new, innovative ways and engage with them in real-time.
— Digital advocacy communicators should diversify their goals, focusing less on planned approaches and more on relationship cultivation through answering publics’ questions and creating spaces for shared dialogue and meaningful engagement on social media.
— Being nimble and able to provide timely updates quickly through social media means that digital advocacy communicators are better served in figuring out how to handle changes over time rather than sticking to a predetermined social media plan.
— Eternal return means that organizations’ past and present messages from both organizations and stakeholders will remain visible on social media. New audiences may come to know and understand the organization through these posts.
1.) Digital advocacy communicators should keep this in mind when posting on social media.
— Beyond vanity metrics such as likes or shares, digital advocacy communicators should measure success in terms of their ability to engage individuals across varying sectors of society and advance the long-term interest of the organization.

Reference
McLean, M. J., Madden, S., & Pressgrove, G. (2021). Complexity theory as a new lens for digital social advocacy. Public Relations Review, 47(3), 102056.

Location of Article:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102056

Heidy Modarelli handles Growth & Marketing for IPR. She has previously written for Entrepreneur, TechCrunch, The Next Web, and VentureBeat.
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